The origin of the Recreation Therapy profession dates back to the early 80s when the first meeting of certification was part of a national discussion.

Norma Stumbo, PH D was probably key in developing a study guide for the administration of the National exam given by athe National Council for Thetapeutic Recreation Certification now in New York.

Academic development was with Dr. Scout Gunn PhD and Macia Carter, PhD and many others

My memory is that Dr.Peg Connelly PhD and later a Bob Rilely, PhD were very involved in promoting and developing the exam an making changes to the credentialing process. Adding a staff for credentialing and having clear discussion on the job analysis http://nctrc.org/about-certification/national-job-analysis/

I believe, a national testing service ETS was to review the exam before it was administered and Dr. Stumbo released a study guide later for the exam. Additionally individuals like Alice Burlingame were very involved in assessment development with https://www.idyllarbor.com/. I known Alice for years and she has sold the business.

Additionally Dr. Connie,Nall, and myself worked with Leisure Scope.a developed tool for leisure assessment. Jean Forthworth, PhD then at Central Michigan University, and I had many discussion on this including Dr. Marsha Cater at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan.

The exam and through careful developed and determining of the questions and submitting to a national testing service was critical. Some of the concern included accommodation for the exam for individuals with disabilities. I remember Dr. Nancy Navar was also involved in this discussion. Dr. Navar is now retired from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.

Ed Keegan , PhD was also developing the program at Western Carolina University and Dr. Gerald O Morrow was reaching retirement .

The National Recreation and Parks Administration NTRS was developing their own certificate. It was a bit divided and most NRPA members were not in favor of a separate certification of a Governing Body to address this issue which was NTRS.

Many years had gone by until thongs were actually worked out with NTRS believe at least 10 years or more. Most Parks and Recreation majors in colleges did not understand this aspect of therapeutic recreation nor a need to have certification. But stardardard for placement were just about all that wree in place at that time. http://www.recreationtherapy.com/history/rthistory3.htm

Yvonne Washington, was a central person addressing this discussion with NTRS individually with the National Recreation and Parks Association. Later they had the discussion which moved to colleges and universities and TR sections including the Virginia Therapeutic Recreation Section, which I was a part in the 80s with Besty Kennedy MA Ed at Old Domunnion with so many other TR’s addresses the exam at Radford and Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

In the mid 80s schools like Michigan State, Wayne State, University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Texas and University of Washington, Radford and California State were all involved in promoting the national exam. I do remember Mick and Lee being involved at Radford as well. In fact Lee was very gracious in ;coming to Marion Virginia where I was the department head to be involved in the selection position for a job I had written specifically for our agency. At that time I worked for Marion Correctional Treatment Center a forensic facility in Southwestern Virginia.

Sharon Nicholas, MA CTRS in New Hampshire whom I’ve known over the years and still in New Hampshire was working on explaining our value in the rehabilitation settings. I kept in contact with Sharon while m working for the VA in Manchester New Hampshire and while at Health South in Concord New Hampshire,

I later moved from New Hampshire to Colorado but in Virginia with some knowledge of the happening in both the West and East Coast because I was in contact with Ann Houston.

Ann Houston, MPH, CTRS, became the President of ATRA, and this was after her leaving the VA in a Palo Alto, California. Ann spearheaded ATRA to a much larger need and audience. With its offices in Hattersburg, Mississippi.

As a member of ATRA, I remember having many discussion with Kelly Dunbar, about the formation and direction of ATRA, and NCTRC.

ATRA, became very involved in therapeutic recreation both locally and on Capital Hill. During the Clinton administration health care reform years , The Joint Commission o established that lTR was a part of treatment. Many of its members ATRA including myself went to Washington DC in 1980s to speak on behalf of the organization to our local representatives dto educate them on the three hour rule of health care reimbursment, which continues today

Kenneth is a graduate of Pepperdine University holding Masters in Educational Technology and Organizational Leadership currently Certified by NCTRS. Business Owner, CEO Educational Planning and Counseling Services Lives in Sun City Wesrt, Arizona

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